Communicating visual representations in virtual collaboration systems

Abstract

Systems and methods of visually indicating one or more gestures of a user of a node ( 22 ) in the content of a media stream ( 24 ) are disclosed. A node ( 22 ) configured to transmit a media stream ( 24 ) having content to one or more other nodes ( 22 ) includes a screen configured to display the content of the media stream, a media device ( 36 ) configured to capture an image of one or more gestures of the user of the node ( 22 ), wherein the one or more gestures are adjacent to the screen and the media device ( 36 ) is positioned to capture the image without capturing more than a peripheral view of the screen in that image; a media analyzer ( 38 ) configured to generate a visual representation of the captured one or more gestures; and a compositer ( 40 ) configured to composite the visual representation of the captured one or more gestures with the content of the media stream ( 24 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A node  22  to transmit a media stream  24  having content to one or more other nodes  22 , comprising:
 a screen to display the content of the media stream  24  to a user of the node positioned opposite the screen; 
 a media device  36  pointing in a direction outwards from the screen towards the user and to capture an image of one or more gestures of the user of the node  22 , wherein the one or more gestures are adjacent to and in front of the screen, and the media device  36  is positioned to capture the image without capturing more than a peripheral view of the screen in that image; 
 a media analyzer  38  to generate a visual representation of the captured one or more gestures, the visual representation being a non-video image graphic that is one or more of shaped and sized in accordance with the one or more gestures; and 
 a compositer  40  to composite the visual representation of the captured one or more gestures with the content of the media stream  24 , such that the visual representation of the captured one or more gestures appears to have been made behind the screen even though the one or more gestures were made in front of the screen. 
 
     
     
       2. The node  22  of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more gestures includes a user's hand pointing to a portion of the displayed content, and the visual representation includes a visual representation of the user's hand pointing to a portion of the displayed content. 
     
     
       3. The node  22  of  claim 2 , wherein the user's hand is spaced from the screen when the user's hand is pointing to a portion of the displayed content. 
     
     
       4. The node  22  of  claim 2 , wherein the media analyzer  38  is further to determine the portion of the displayed content that the user's hand is pointing to, and wherein the compositer  40  is to composite the visual representation of the user's hand with the content of the media stream  24  such that, when the media stream  24  is displayed at one or more other nodes  22 , the visual representation of the user's hand is pointing to the portion of the content displayed at the one or more other nodes  22 . 
     
     
       5. The node  22  of  claim 4 , wherein the visual representation of the user's hand pointing to a portion of the displayed content is oriented such that, when the media stream  24  is displayed at the one or more other nodes  22 , the visual representation of the user's hand is pointing to the portion of the content displayed at the one or more other nodes  22  and to the user of the one or more other nodes  22 . 
     
     
       6. The node  22  of  claim 4 , wherein the content includes an electronic document having a plurality of words, and the portion of the content is a particular word of the plurality of words. 
     
     
       7. The node of  22   claim 2 , wherein the visual representation of the user's hand pointing to a portion of the displayed content includes a video image of the user's hand. 
     
     
       8. The node  22  of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream  24  includes video of the user of the node  22  and the content composited within the video of the user of the node, wherein the compositer  40  is further to add the visual representation of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed content with the video of the user of the node and the content. 
     
     
       9. A method  400  of visually indicating a user gesture of a node  22  in the content of a media stream  24 , comprising:
 displaying  402  the content of the media stream on a screen positioned opposite a user of the node; 
 capturing  404  an image of the user gesture of the node made in front of the screen, by a media device pointing in a direction outwards from the screen towards the user  22 , the user gesture being adjacent to the displayed content and the image being free from more than a peripheral view of the displayed content; 
 generating  406  a visual representation of the captured user gesture, the visual representation being a non-video image graphic that is one or more of shaped and sized in accordance with the gesture; and 
 compositing  408  the visual representation of the captured user gesture with the content of the media stream  24 , such that the visual representation of the gesture appears to have been made behind the screen even though the gesture was made in front of the screen. 
 
     
     
       10. The method  400  of  claim 9 , wherein the user gesture includes a hand of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed content  402 , and further comprising determining  414  the portion of the displayed content that the hand of the user is pointing to, wherein generating  406  a visual representation includes generating  406  a visual representation of the hand of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed Content  402 . 
     
     
       11. The method  400  of  claim 10 , wherein compositing  408  the visual representation includes compositing  408  the visual representation of the hand of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed content  402  with the content of the media stream  24  such that, when the media stream  24  is displayed at one or more other nodes  22 , the visual representation of the user's hand is pointing to the portion of the content displayed at the one or more other nodes  22 . 
     
     
       12. The method  400  of  claim 11 , wherein generating  406  a visual representation includes generating  406  a visual representation of the hand of the user such that, when the media stream  24  is displayed at the one or more other nodes  22 , the visual representation of the user's hand is pointing to the portion of the content displayed at the one or more other nodes  22  and to the user of the one or more other nodes  22 . 
     
     
       13. The method  400  of  claim 10 , wherein generating  406  a visual representation of the hand of the user includes generating  406  a silhouette of the user's hand. 
     
     
       14. Non-transitory computer-readable media comprising computer-executable instructions for visually indicating a user gesture of a node  22  in the content of a media stream  24 , the computer-executable instructions to:
 display  402  the content of the media stream on a screen positioned opposite a user of the node, 
 capture  404  an image of the user gesture of the node made in front of the screen, by a media device pointing in a direction outwards from the screen towards the user  22 , the user gesture being adjacent to the displayed content and the image being free from more than a peripheral view of the displayed content; 
 generate  406  a visual representation of the captured user gesture, the visual representation being a non-video image graphic that is one or more of shaped and sized in accordance with the gesture; 
 and composite  408  the visual representation of the captured user gesture with the content, such that the visual representation of the gesture appears to have been made behind the screen even though the gesture was made in front of the screen. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer-readable media of  claim 14 , wherein the user gesture including a hand of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed content and the computer-executable instructions are further to determine  414  the portion of the displayed content that the hand of the user is pointing to, wherein generating a visual representation includes generating a visual representation of the hand of the user pointing to a portion of the displayed content.